


Tale As Old As Time, Song As Old As Rhyme

by GayestCuChulainnFan



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Amnesia, Drug Use, F/F, Flashbacks, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Internal Conflict, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Rating May Change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-10-16 01:36:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayestCuChulainnFan/pseuds/GayestCuChulainnFan
Summary: He was transfigured into a fearsome beast, born from the queen's desire to dominate. She offered to house him with the presumption that he would be reviled in his current state. He found her appealing, but his loyalty to his country could not be swayed. With a disappointed sigh, she used the Grail to create a "representation" of her curse. It was a human heart, slowly decaying."If someone can defeat you before this heart is gone, you will return to normal. Once it turns to dust, the curse will become permanent."Then, she rode away in her chariot of love.He returned home to find that the queen's predictions were right. The king, out of fear, banished him to a nearby state. The queen's curse of love created an extravagant but secluded castle for him deep in the woods. Many challengers came, hearing of a fearsome beast living in the woods, only to be effortlessly struck down.As the piles of Noble Phantasms in his vault grew, he came to accept that he would never break the curse. For who could ever defeat a peerless warrior?





	1. Prologue

In this world, there are numerous treasures called Noble Phantasms. Noble Phantasms grant humans magical power, whether in the form of an armament or a spell. People often go on quests in search of Noble Phantasms. It's not uncommon for there to be wars over them.

One such war was fought over a magical animal. The queen of a certain kingdom wanted a bordering country's prized golden bull, so timed her assault to align with an an ancient, generational curse. Every man born in the kingdom would be inflicted with constant labor pains. They were struck with agony so intense that they could not move, let alone fight in a war.

Only one was spared from the spell. He was the demigod child of the sun god, born in a fairy mound just outside the king's domain.

The warrior fought the war by himself, one man a day, for two years. The queen pitted him against his best friend, who he struck down with a heavy heart. But he did not hesitate. He persevered until he finally reached the queen.

He thought she was unarmed, so he spared her out of his own sense of honor. But he was mistaken. She possessed one of the most powerful Noble Phantasms in existence, a Holy Grail. She used the blessed chalice, said to be an omnipotent wish-granter, to grant her wish. She molded him into her ideal king.

He was transfigured into a fearsome beast, born from the queen's desire to dominate. She offered to house him with the presumption that he would be reviled in his current state. He found her appealing, but his loyalty to his country could not be swayed. With a disappointed sigh, she used the Grail to create a "representation" of her curse. It was a human heart, slowly decaying.

"If someone can defeat you before this heart is gone, you will return to normal. Once it turns to dust, the curse will become permanent."

Then, she rode away in her chariot of love.

He returned home to find that the queen's predictions were right. The king, out of fear, banished him to a nearby state. The queen's curse of love created an extravagant but secluded castle for him deep in the woods. Many challengers came, hearing of a fearsome beast living in the woods, only to be effortlessly struck down.

As the piles of Noble Phantasms in his vault grew, he came to accept that he would never break the curse. For who could ever defeat a peerless warrior?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think it's pretty obvious where this is going


	2. Belle (Archer I)

"That's the last one." I set down the stone statue I'm carrying and wipe sweat from my brow. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, not really." She says something about payment, but I'm absorbed in an appraisal of my own work. The symmetry of the arrangement is a bit off. Shameful. "Archer?" I look at her. Her brows are furrowed in concern.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

At that, her expression turns to something indecipherable. "Never mind. It's nothing."

I leave Medusa's shop wondering if there's anywhere else in town I can help out. I check out the usual places—the winery, the theater, the library, and the infirmary. Even David doesn't need help with his ranch in the outskirts of the village. I regretfully make my way to Beni-Enma's restaurant, where I work part-time. It's the most popular eatery in Fuyuki, so I get paid a lot despite my short hours. In my free time, I like to help out around town for no pay, like I did with Medusa's statues. 

As I enter the kitchen, Boudica acknowledges me with a casual nod. Putting on my apron, I prepare for the lunch rush.

-弓-

The sun is setting. The last few customers exit and Beni-Enma closes up the restaurant for the night while we, the chefs, chat.

"How's your father doing? Has he found a way to get to your older sister yet?" I don't recall telling Raikou the specifics of Kiritsugu's research, but I'm not surprised that she knows. When Raikou cares for someone, she knows pretty much everything about them. I shudder remembering how fast she found out about her son's relationship with Kotarou. Fortunately for Kintoki, she's supportive of same-sex relationships. I'm sure she knows that I'm not exactly straight, either. I may or may not have had a crush on a certain traveling monk that passed through the area a while back.

I lower my voice. You never know who's listening. "He's trying to develop a device that detects all the Noble Phantasms in a large area. It's almost done."

"Using Irisviel's blood?"

"Excuse me, whose blood?"

"Oh dear. I'm sorry, I forgot he hadn't told you about that yet. When you're older, ask him about the Holy Grail."

"Raikou. I'm twenty-two."

"Gosh, really? Time really does fly."

"It seems like just yesterday that you were always talking about being a hero like Kiritsugu." Boudica giggles.

I ignore her. Those were just the foolish dreams of a naive child. I've grown out of that. I tune out Raikou, Boudica, and Tamamo Cat so that I can focus on thinking of what to make for dinner tonight.

Suddenly, some motion at the corner of my peripheral vision draws my attention. My head snaps in its direction, and outside the restaurant, I see a flash of long, blue hair, deepened by the darkness of the oncoming night.

I rush outside, but it's too late. The eavesdropper is gone. Fortunately, I know who it was. I'll deal with it tomorrow; I should get home to Kiritsugu.

-弓-

When I get home, I feed Kiritsugu's horse, Maiya, and go inside. Our house is pretty big, and it has many buildings, so I suppose it would be more accurate to call it a complex. The main entrance is a hallway that leads to the living room and kitchen. The living room opens up into the courtyard, which gives full access to the rest of the buildings: the bedrooms, Kiritsugu's study, the storage shed, the dojo, and the guest bedrooms. The entire compound is surrounded by a tall wall.

As expected, my father is in the study. I knock on the locked door. I don't really know exactly what he does in there because the room is off-limits. I do have a vague idea, though, since he keeps me updated on the progress of his research. He spends most of his day in there, only coming out to eat with me. He even sleeps in there. I seriously worry about him sometimes; it's definitely not healthy to spend this much time on it. But people will do anything for their child, I suppose.

As I wait for him to come out, I look at the paintings in the main hallway. There's a few portraits of Kiritsugu and me over the years, all painted by a certain family friend, Leonardo. One of them stands out, both in style and subject matter. It's a painting of my half-sister, Illyasviel von Einzbern, from a few years before Kiritsugu adopted me.

She's small, with white hair, red eyes, and a regal demeanor. She's sitting in a woman's lap, but it's unclear who it is because of the framing. The upper half of her face is cut off, but one can see that she has long, white hair that matches that of the painting's focus. If I had to guess, that small smile belongs to the girl's mother.

According to Kiritsugu, Illya is being held captive in a foreign land by his father-in-law, Jubstacheit von Einzbern. She has a peculiar blood property that allows her to sense Noble Phantasms, and Jubstacheit is exploiting her to find the fabled Holy Grail. He keeps people out using a barrier-type Noble Phantasm.

Wait. Illyasviel...blood...Noble Phantasm detection...Irisviel...matching white hair...it's obvious.

Just then, my father enters the living room. "Oh, Archer. You're home." I can hear the fatigue in his voice.

"Dad, who's Irisviel?" It's out of the blue, but I'm tired of being left in the dark. I want to help Kiritsugu break the barrier, and I can't do that unless I know the whole story.

There's a beat of silence. He's understandably taken aback by my question. Then, he sighs in exasperation. "Has Raikou been running her mouth again?"

"Just answer my question, please." I say it simply, with no edge in my voice. I don't want to make him think I'm angry. I continue to study the painting of Illya with a poker face.

"She was my wife and Illya's mother. She's the woman in that painting. She...died before your adoption. I loved her very dearly."

"I see. How?"

"What?" I don't have to look at him to tell that he's fidgeting.

"How did Irisviel die?" No answer. "Never mind. I'm sorry that I dredged up something like this."

"No, it's fine. It's natural for you to be curious about things. After all, I do keep lots of secrets." An awkward chuckle. "But I'm not ready to talk about this one yet."

Finally, I look at him. He's a mess, with prominent bags under his eyes. His hair is a black, crusty mop, and his sullen face is decorated with unsightly stubble. I put on my best smile despite my concern. It seems to work; the tension in the air diffuses. "What do you want for dinner?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldnt think of a way to describe medusa's deadpan-thing but its the bottom left expression here:  
> https://emiya-gohan.com/character/?chara=rider


	3. LeFou (Medea I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw // lesbophobia and use of the d-slur at the beginning

I knock on the door of Artoria's house, pushing past the gaggle of boys milling around it. The mob is massive; almost every boy in Fuyuki is after her. Fools. Do they really think she'll pay them any mind? They're nothing close to being worthy of her.

There's no response to my knock. She's probably worried the trash will get into her house.

Suddenly, a punk pulls me back by my ear. "Get away from Artoria, freak! Why do you even hang around her all the time? What are you, a dy-"

A sharp crack across the cheek brings silence to the entire mob of suitors. They're all looking at me now. Some of them roll up their sleeves or crack their fists. I'm completely surrounded. I take a small step away from the boy I just slapped. He tries to put on an aggressive face like the others, but he's close to tears as he clutches his red cheek.

I materialize my secondary Noble Phantasm. The Staff of Hecate's power causes me to levitate a few inches off the ground. Using my eyes to scan the crowd, I assess the situation. They're all too close. Close-quarters is my biggest weakness. Shit.

One of them poises to attack. I lick my lips and open my mouth to start chanting spells.

Then, "Enough!"

Everyone's focus turns to the woman standing at the open door. The only person to see my face flush deep pink is Artoria herself, with her beautiful golden eyes. I just can't help myself when she uses that commanding voice of hers. "Medea, come in."

-切-

"You have it, right?" Artoria asks me once she's gotten rid of the pesky boys. We're in the entrance hallway of her house. This is the most I've ever seen of the mansion. I'm not worthy of seeing her home; I only come here to deliver the goods.

I give her the small pouch from my denim jacket's inner pocket. It contains about a half cup of black powder—Mud. She loosens the pouch's knot and wafts, then closes it and holds it away from her face. She looks at it hungrily; it looks like she can barely restrain herself. I've never tried the drug personally, but I've heard about how addictive it is.

I remember what I overheard at the restaurant. Artoria might be interested in it. "And that's not all," I say.

"What?" she snarls. I whimper.

"I have news about the Emiyas." Her anger turns to curiosity at the mention of her enemies. "Kiritsugu's developing a device to find Noble Phantasms. There's some secret ingredient to it."

"Secret ingredient?" Her eyes narrow.

"It's someone's blood. I think the name Raikou mentioned was Irisviel..."

"Irisviel...his filthy hands are still using her, even after her death. Disgusting. He didn't deserve her." Her hands tighten around the bag of Mud. She angrily stares in the direction of the Emiyas' house.

"Um, Artoria? You should be careful with that bag," I timidly alert her to her iron grip. It loosens.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go to that house and find out how close he is to finishing it!"

As I leave, I hear a chuckle and a comment about how cute I am when I'm obedient.

-切-

After dealing with a few more annoying boys, I reach the targets' home. When I arrive, they've finished dinner, and they're now chatting. A whispered incantation carries the sounds of their conversation to my ears.

"So, about the device you're making..." Ha, it looks like I got here at the right time.

"Oh, yes. That. I suppose there's no point in hiding it, now that I've completed it." Kiritsugu gets up from his seat and makes his way to his study.

Once he's is out of the room, Archer gets up as well and goes to the window. He looks around, then draws the curtains shut.

How cute. That would work on normal humans, but unfortunately for him, I'm not normal. Artoria endowed me with three Noble Phantasms to harness my immense latent magic. That's why I'm forever indebted to her, even though the Mud has perverted her temperament. Without Rule Breaker, Argon Coin, and the Staff, I would...never mind, now's not the time to think about that.

Another simple spell makes the curtains null and void to my eyes. Kiritsugu returns to the dining room with a vial containing a seemingly-viscous liquid and a rolled-up sheet of paper.

I can sense strong magical energy from the vial. I'm tempted to use Atlas to immobilize them and analyze it, but it's too risky. Archer's combat abilities are nothing to joke about; the spell wouldn't contain him for long. For now, I'll wait to make my move.

Kiritsugu unrolls the paper to reveal a map of the county. Uncorking the bottle, he explains the liquid's function. "It's not really a device, per se. It's a potion that uses a map as an impetus to show the locations of items that contain strong magical energy. It should be more effective on maps with larger scales. That's why I'm starting with such a small area."

He tips the flask to let a few blood-red drops fall on the map where our town is located. As soon as a drop hits the paper, it moves. All the drops gravitate eastwards, stopping at a spot deep in the forest. Instead of being absorbed the paper, they remain in a droplet state. He tries a few of the towns around Fuyuki, only for the same thing to happen. He frowns.

"What does that mean?" Archer asks, peering over his father's shoulder to examine the red, spherical blip at the center of the forest.

"Either there's something in the forest interfering with the potion, the formula is faulty, or...no, that's not possible. Or is it?"

"Are you saying that there could possibly be hundreds of Noble Phantasms in the forest? How have they gone undiscovered?"

"Maybe they're guarded by someone or something." He and Archer go silent. I, too, take a moment to analyze the map. 

Kiritsugu puts the cork back on the flask, then returns to his study again. Archer follows him in disbelief. "Wait, are you going by yourself? You shouldn't be doing-"

The old man promptly comes out holding a slender case. It contains another magical item, this one more powerful than the potion; it's definitely a Noble Phantasm. "This isn't my first rodeo," he smirks. His demeanor is completely different from the tired, aging man he was mere seconds ago. "If there's a dragon guarding the treasure, I'll just have to slay it."

Before Archer can protest any further, Kiritsugu swiftly walks down the hallway, saddles his horse, and rides off. Archer follows him out of the house and watches his father depart, sighing when he disappears in the darkness of the forest. He comes back inside and sits on the porch outside the living room. "He's so impulsive sometimes. You've noticed that in your years of being my ex's lapdog, haven't you?" He looks up, directly at me. "You can show yourself now, Medea."

"Impressive, Archer. Hades' Helm, release." I feign calmness to mask my disbelief and anger. He completely saw through the cloaking spell. Archer's friends weren't kidding when they called him Hawkeye.

"I imagine Artoria wants the potion. Go back to her and tell her she isn't getting it." A longbow materializes in his left hand. It emanates magical energy, albeit weak, so it's most likely just a Mystic Code—a Noble Phantasm ranked below E, usually used as an amplifier. "Unless you want me to give her your corpse in lieu of a verbal message."

As I float in the air above the courtyard, I contemplate returning his challenge. No, not tonight. Instead, I do what I'm best at. With a flurry of magenta butterflies, I escape.


	4. Gaston (Artoria Alter)

I lounge on a couch near the entrance of my house. Where the hell is she? It's been twenty minutes; it shouldn't take this long. I listen for signs of her return. The only sound in the house is me impatiently drumming my fingers against the leather of the armrest.

I'm about to get up and leave to look for her, when there's a knock at the door. In an instant, I'm in the entrance hallway. I open the door to reveal Medea, cloak bloody with stains of half-healed stab wounds. She wobbles a bit, and I catch her as she falls. A meek whimper escapes her lips when I help her back to her feet. I lead her deeper into the house, letting her lean against me as she limps.

I sit her down in one of the black armchairs in the living room. She's clearly uncomfortable. I somewhat recall that she's never been in this part of the house. I wait for her to catch her breath. "So are you going to tell me why you faked those wounds?"

She promptly drops the injured animal act, healing herself. I'll admit, she's a good actress, but those wounds were clearly self-inflicted. Any experienced warrior could have seen through it. "I-I-I," her eyes dart around to avoid looking at me.

"Medea." She jolts and sits up, staring at me with the poise of a spooked animal. "What happened at the Emiya mansion?"

She fidgets. "I...ran away. Archer s-s-saw through my c-cloaking spell a-and..." She breaks down into blubbering sobs. My eye reflexively twitches. What an annoying noise. A swift strike to the temple silences it.

The clouds in the night sky align to allow a beam of moonlight to filter in through the window and illuminate Medea's unconscious form. Her pale skin, blue hair, and purple robe complement the pitch-black furniture she sits in. She's so serene and beautiful. The light fades as soon as it came, clouds covering the moon once more.

I mentally slap myself for gawking at her. She's merely a tool that's always willing to bend to my wishes. I can't think of her as anything more than that. I can't grow attached, or she'll end up like-

No, no, no, no, no. I can't wallow in the past. That white beauty is gone now. I have to find out about Kiritsugu's potion, since Medea couldn't. Taking one last look at the witch, I lock up the house and leave.

-剣-

When I arrive at Kiritsugu and Archer's house, the door is unlocked. Their home is strange, not only because it's a complex, but also because of the doors. The architecture is that of Nihon's feudal era, so the doors slide open rather than rotating on hinges.

I find Archer sitting outside the living room, with his back to me. If not for the loud noise of the door, it would have been an easy assassination. Without turning around, he pats a spot on the wooden porch next to him. It's a silent invitation, and I accept it.

"I suppose you're here for the potion, since Medea couldn't get it."

Without speaking, I drop a small flask in his lap. It's barely as long as my thumb, and it contains a few pitch-black granules of Mud. He picks it up and inspects it.

"There's no way in hell I'm doing it again. Just a milligram of that made my sclera turn black for weeks."

I chuckle and shrug. "Well, it was worth a shot. Anyway, where's that trash's potion?"

The dark-skinned man visibly stiffens. "Why do you even hate Kiritsugu?"

"Because..." He looks at me expectantly. That's right, I hate him because...because...because...because...

Yes, I vaguely remember. It's a haze, though. I concentrate on it, and it starts to com-

I'm assaulted by a flurry of images. The vignettes come too fast for me to comprehend, to understand. They become a blur of colors and objects. White hair. A red spear. A yellow spear. A tome of spells. White hair. A fur-trimmed mantle. A swarm of insects. A spinning sword. White hair. A golden cross. A mist-clouded helm. An army of skull masks.

The image of white hair shows itself in the haze over and over and over and over again until it solidifies into the final image—a white-haired woman with red eyes, clad in matching white clothes. She's barefoot, on a beach. The image lasts for a few seconds before I'm back at the Emiya household, clutching my head, with my legs tucked in a fetal position, and my face pressed against my knees.

"So, this is what Mud does to you. I'm glad I never became an addict." I look to my left to see Archer grimacing down at me. He flinches for some reason, then squints at my face. "Damn, it's been years since I last saw your eyes that color."

I snatch the vial from his hands and inhale the powder. Satisfied, I get up and set my eyes on Kiritsugu's study. In response to my action, I find the blade of a short sword at the back of my neck. "Kiritsugu finished the potion, and he just left to find Noble Phantasms. He's in the forest, although I doubt you'd find him this late at night."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, Medea already knows, so you would have found out sooner or later. Plus, I kinda want you out of my hair, _ex-girlfriend_." The last word is filled with venom. I want to strangle him, but I have other things to prioritize. I storm out of the house.

 


	5. Maurice (Kiritsugu)

Hm. Maybe rushing off this late at night was a mistake. I literally can't tell where the hell I am. There's still some moonlight filtering through the trees, so I'm not very deep. There's a very high chance that I've been going in circles. I haven't been very far into the forest before, but I've heard from Robin that in the farther you get from Fuyuki, the closer together the trees get, until there's a canopy of eternal night.

I slow my horse to a stop and look at the tree nearest to me. An idea pops into my head. I hold my lantern up to it with my left hand and unsheathe my dagger with my right. I'm about to carve a "K" into the bark, when I hear a noise. It's a barely audible whisper, one that I probably would never have heard over the crunch of dry, autumn leaves under Maiya's hooves.

I look in the noise's direction. There's more light in that area; perhaps it's a clearing. As quietly as possible, I sheathe my dagger, dismount Maiya, tie her to the tree, and approach the source of the sound with the lantern.

When I reach the clearing, I hide in the shadow of a tree and study it. It's quite similar to where Irisviel and Maiya—the human, not the horse named after her—fought  _him_. Willing away memories of white clothes stained with red, I search for the noise.

It's a person sitting against a tree, rocking back and forth in a fetal position. They look awfully familiar. They're clad in a black dress, and they have pale blonde hair tied into a bun. I strain my ears to listen to what they're whispering. I still can't hear it, so I move closer.

"Irisviel...Irisviel...Irisviel...Irisviel..." The person's voice is anguished, and it sounds like they're crying. Who are they, and how do they know her name?

The new angle allows me to see them better. Shit. It's Artoria. She still hasn't forgiven me for what happened ten years ago. If she notices me, it'll definitely end in an all-out brawl. And I have no chance of beating her, not with her fighting prowess and my age.

I carefully take a step backwards towards Maiya. Then another. One foot behind another, careful not to step on leaves.

Then, Maiya decides to let out a loud whinny. Artoria's head snaps up, causing the moon to illuminate her face. One eye is gold, squinting at me in curiosity. The other is back to normal, shedding tears.

I hide the lantern behind me and stand still, hoping the trees can camouflage me, but there's no luck. Her turquoise eye turns yellow too when she recognizes me. "Kiritsugu," she growls. "Come closer, you wanker."

Running away is pointless. I'd be dead before I reached Maiya.

I slowly make my way to the edge of the clearing, continuing to hide the lamp behind my back. "Artoria, I can expla-"

"What's there to explain? You used a Command Spell to make me use Excalibur on that Grail, right as we were about to get it!" Her rage makes her voice crescendo to a yell.

"The Mud's been messing with your memories, Artoria. Just like-"

"My memories are perfectly fine!" she cuts me off again. "I ought to cut you down right now! Because of you, Irisviel died in vain!"

"And I've regretted it every day of my life!" I match her volume with a scream of my own.

She goes silent for a moment, glaring at me. Her next words are hushed. "So, why? Why did you do it?"

"I have nothing to say to a Mud addict." With that, I throw the lantern into the clearing. The dead leaves instantly catch fire, and oil spills out of the shattered lamp chimney, catalyzing the blaze's spread. Within seconds, the entire clearing is consumed. The wall of fire separating us prevents Artoria from reaching me. I mount Maiya and escape.

-父-

I lose track of time as the trees grow dense. The entire forest becomes shrouded in darkness. I chastise myself for making another impulsive decision. I'm supposed to be cool and collected, predicting my enemies' moves and planning ahead. I guess this is what age does to you.

I look at my briefcase and mentally sift through it, but I don't think anything in it will help me. I dismount get on the ground to open it, just in case, and I'm assaulted by a bright red glow—the potion made from Iri's blood. Shielding my eyes, I take it out, close the case, and carefully mount Maiya.

Not looking at it directly makes it more bearable, it seems. I look around to see dozens of trees around me, washed in the crimson glow the vial emits. Despite the light, there's no way to tell the time or find my bearing. The thick growth of leaves above me completely covers the sky.

I consider backtracking to an area with more light so that I can find Polaris; the spot in the forest was directly east of Fuyuki. The trees also prevent me from seeing the fire I left behind, though, so I would run the risk of encountering Artoria again. With a sigh, I continue going deeper into the forest.

After a certain point, the potion's glow starts inexplicably dimming, until it goes completely dark. I can't help but think the potion is sentient, that it's trying to tell me something. Experimentally, I stop and give Maiya the signal to walk backwards. Slowly, the potion starts glowing. Moving forward causes it to fade again. It looks like the potion is playing a game of Hot and Cold.

I let the potion lead me farther into the forest until we reach a massive clearing. At the center is a pond, no, a lake. A pond is shallow enough to see the bottom. This water body is too deep to be called a pond.

I can't see the other side of the lake; a shroud of mist obscures it. I look up to see that the moon still shines in the sky, partially covered by wispy clouds. I'm relieved that the mind-numbing interval after my encounter with Artoria didn't last all night.

I turn right to go around it, and the potion goes black. The other direction yields the same result. I look at the potion, raising an eyebrow. As if reading my mind, it pulses.  _Going around will take too long_ , it seems to say.  _Cutting across is the shortest route._

With a sigh of defeat, I reluctantly lead Maiya to the lake and make her take a step forward. The water freezes under her hoof. Someone else's magic is definitely at play. Putting my trust in that mysterious person, I forge on.

As I advance, the mist in front of me clears. When I reach the opposite shore, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I turn around to see that the ice path we had created had already disappeared. When I look forward again, I drop the vial in shock.

In front of me is a massive castle resembling the architecture of Erin, a neighboring country. It's blocky in shape, with tall, rectangular spires and cylindrical watchtowers. A flag waves at the top of the tallest tower. Dark squares running up the steeples in arrays indicate the presence of windows that allow its residents to view the forest. Surrounding it is a shallow moat and a sprawling plain of bright green grass, highlighted by the silver moonlight. Despite its monochrome slate color, the entire structure exudes an air of majesty. It's beautiful and imposing at the same time. I can only imagine how grand the interior is.

Suddenly, a strange moisture drapes over my shoulders and presses against my cheek. I turn to face it; it's the familiar face of my wife. It's not her, though. Instead of the snowy white that normally defined her features, she's all bloody red, just like the potion. "Irisviel" lifts off my body and revolves around me to float in between the castle and me. The figure gives me a small smile and mouths "I love you". Then I blink, and she's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay wig i guess i accidentally made an oc  
> i shall name her....blutsviel


	6. Les Secours (Medea II)

It burns. It burns. My entire body burns. I'm on fire, and I'm dying.

I wake up with a shriek. Sweating bullets, I try to get my bearings. I can't see a thing, despite the moonlight shining through the window next to me. Everything in this room is black: the furniture, the decorations, the carpets, and the walls. Oh, right. I'm in Artoria's house.

I still feel the burning pain, even though the room is as cold as Artoria's gaze. I don't recall casting a pain-sharing curse on myself. Confused, I go to the air above the house. Yeah, I can definitely see fire now—a forest fire. It seems somewhat small for now, but it could be extremely destructive if left unchecked.

I try to tell myself it's not my problem. But the more I look at it, the stronger to urge to go becomes. I can't stop staring at it. Before I know it, the fire is right in front of me.

 _My sisters are in danger._ Acting on instinct, my hand rises and my mouth falls open in incantation. Storm clouds form above the forest and put an end to the fire. On shaky legs, I walk into the clearing, studying my surroundings.

I see Artoria. She's drenched, and she has some minor burns, but my attention doesn't linger on her for long. I only have eyes for the charred trees around me. "Circe's Teachings." Formerly charred trees.

When I return to my senses, I can feel a large amount of mana welling within me. Using two large-scale spells like that without the Staff was definitely not a good idea. I gather the excess power into my palm and discharge it eastwards, away from the town. It leaves the forest and hits some body of water. It's pointless to track it now.

I turn my attention to the shivering girl in the center of the clearing. She must have come here in pursuit of Kiritsugu. "Artoria," I choke out as she gets to her feet. "I don't know what cam-"

Her eyes are blue. I haven't seen them in this state for so long. Despite the soggy black dress clashing with her original appearance, she's infinitely more beautiful than when addicted to Mud. Her burns are also completely healed. I guess she was caught up in the healing spell. "Medea. Let's go home."

-切-

"Why is everything black?" Artoria's lip curls in disgust when she sees her Mud-addicted self's home decor choices. I follow her around the house as she lights the candles in every room. All of the candles seem to be unused for a very long time. I guess the "other" Artoria had a preference for darkness.

I notice that the entire house is luxurious. I imagine that if everything wasn't black, the color scheme would be royal golds and blues. It's almost like it's a small palace. The dining room even has a long table with a throne-like chair at its head. After my "tour", we return to the living room where I had awakened. I'm still dumbfounded by the grandiose chambers and hallways of the house.

Artoria turns to face me. One of her eyes is yellow again, despite the fact that she hasn't inhaled any Mud. "Listen, Medea. I know you have lots of questions. I can answer them as soon as I figure out how to completely get rid of the Mud staining my core. But right now, you're going to have to keep the other me in check. I'm so sorry for what the Mud has done to me. I must have treated you horribly."

I materialize the Staff. If Artoria doesn't like the other side of herself, then I'll just have to heal her until, like she said, the Mud is no longer staining her core. But before I can cast a spell, her hand lashes out to grab it. She effortlessly steals it from my hands.

"Medea." A cold pair of yellow eyes glares at me. "I gave you this staff. You and I both know exactly what'll happen if I snap it in half. You aren't considering betraying me, are you?" I frantically shake my head. I don't want to incur her wrath. "Then, will you be a dear and put out all the candles in the house? I have a guest coming over." She smiles and returns the Noble Phantasm. Silently casting the eavesdropping spell on the room, I comply.

Artoria's guest arrives just as I snuff out the last light in the house, in the dining room. The guest is none other than Hyde, the owner of the asylum in the next town. I doubt Artoria, in this state, at least, would willingly admit herself to the asylum. It seems that Artoria and Artoria have no memories of what they do when they're in their alternate personality, so if Artoria invited him, Artoria wouldn't know.

God, just thinking that sentence gave me a headache. Since the "current" Artoria isn't really Artoria, I'll call her Alter, short for "Artoria altered by Mud." That should help keep things straight in my mind.

I mentally kick myself when I realize that I've gotten distracted from the conversation I'm supposed to be listening to. I focus on it again, hoping I haven't missed anything important.

"So we're going to wait for him to come back from his little forest 'vacation'?" That's Hyde. Who are they talking about? It's been a long night, and I'm too tired to process the stuff they say.

"Yeah, and you're going to pretend to take him to your asylum."

"Pretend to?"

I don't know why, but my last thought as I drift off to sleep is, "I've got to warn Archer..."


	7. Lumière (Fergus)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is...super dialogue heavy oof

I check the magic mirror again. Sure enough, Kiritsugu's arrived. He was able to cross the lake because of the discharge from Medea's magic temporarily freezing it, and now he's about to enter the castle.

The large double doors slowly open with a loud creak. He cautiously walks in, holding his Thompson Contender. "Is anyone there?" he calls out into the seemingly empty hall.

"Should we reveal ourselves?" Beowulf asks me. It's barely a whisper, but Kiritsugu apparently has very good ears despite his age.

He points the weapon in our direction and looks around. "Who's there? Show yourself." I'm contemplating whether or not to comply, when a teacup comes down the main staircase. The sound draws Kiritsugu's attention away from us. He makes his way to where the teacup stopped and picks him up.

"Hi, mister! Did you come to fight the king of the castle?"

Startled, Kiritsugu drops the cup. Luckily, Beowulf has good instincts. He catches the teacup before he hits the floor.

In a rush, Scáthach comes down the stairs, followed by an entourage of teacups. "Connla, you idiotic grandson! Don't go off on your own like that!" Kiritsugu can only stare at them. I don't blame him. I've gotten used to it, having been in this state for so long, but it took a while to get acclimated. After all, everyone in the castle is a sentient object, save for our king.

Flidais flies in. Li joins the party as well. I guess it's pointless to hide now. I come out from under the stairs.

"Welcome to our castle, Kiritsugu. I'm Fergus the candelabra," I bow. Following my lead, everyone else introduces themselves in turn.

"Flidais the featherduster. Fergus is my husband."

"Beowulf the clock. The coat rack here is my boyfriend, Li Shuwen."

"I'm Scáthach. You've already met Connla. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Kiritsugu is still stupefied. There's a beat of silence.

"What's going on here?" Kiritsugu didn't say that. Everyone looks to the top of the staircase.

It's my nephew, the master of the castle. His legs are armored by the dark blue exoskeleton of a sea monster. His tanned, musclebound torso is brightened by crimson knot-like designs. Tattoos of the same color decorate the areas underneath his glowering eyes. There’s red fur around his neck and ankles. His white-trimmed hood is the color of the night sky; four blue bangs stick out from underneath it. A black cape and a reptilian tail of the same color swish lazily behind him. Countless rouge barbs adorn his bulky form and menacing spear.

If Kiritsugu wasn't jarred before, he definitely is now. The old man gawks at Cú's height once the king reaches the bottom of the staircase. "Did you come here looking to fight me?"

"Ah, no, sir. I...I heard that you have a lot of Noble Phantasms here, and I was hoping to get one that will let me break a strong magical barrier."

Cú looks up and ponders Kiritsugu's request for a bit. "Sure."

Kiritsugu, clearly ready to have to bargain, balks. "Sure?"

"Yeah. If you're not here to fight, then I have no business with you. Take what you want and leave."

"But this is a Noble Phantasm we're talking about! Don't you think they're worth at least a little barter?"

"They have no value to me. Like you said, I have plenty of them." Cú shrugs and turns around. "The vault is this way." Kiritsugu, dumbfounded, follows him.

Immediately after they leave, Flidais, Beowulf, Li, and I form a huddle.

"We can't let him escape this easily," Beowulf says decisively.

"He's one of our only four chances of turning back! I know Cú doesn't care, but in this state, I can't hug Fergus without burning myself!"

"Kiritsugu clearly doesn't want to fight, though. And even if he did, he's aging. He's not as good as he used to be."

Li's insight leaves us all stumped. Scáthach cuts in from next to us. "Well, two of the prospects are closely related to him, right? It's obvious. We'll use Kiritsugu as bait to bring either or both of them here. Even if none of them have the power to defeat my student by themselves, they might when working together."

Flidais turns on her. "And why don't you fight him yourself? You're much stronger than him! You and your 'teacups' aren't even cursed! You can turn human and leave anytime you want!"

The teapot scoffs, releasing a puff of steam from her spout. "I have my reasons."

"Oh, you want reasons? I'll give you reasons!" Flidais starts jabbing at her. Scáthach easily dodges and splashes hot tea on her. "Oh, now you've done it, you stupid-" Before she can charge again, Li jumps on her.

While Li calms them down, Beowulf talks to me. "Fergus, what's the status of the other prospects?"

As they crowd around behind me, I materialize the nameless magic mirror. "Mirror, mirror, in my hand, show me the finest warrior in the land." The Noble Phantasm's glass face glows for a second, before showing Artoria in her living room. I repeat similar incantations for Medea and Archer. Medea's sleeping in Artoria's dining room, and Archer's working out.

I think I've figured out a way to get Archer to come here. "Li, can you prepare a room for Kiritsugu to stay in?"

-虹-

I knock on the door of the guest room. "Come in," Kiritsugu responds.

"I can't really, uh, open the door..."

"Oh, I'm sorry." A few seconds later, door opens to reveal Kiritsugu, clearly tired. I hop into the room. "So, what's the deal with you guys? Why is everyone...like this?"

"The master of the castle is my nephew, Cú Chulainn. We're all former citizens of Erin. Years ago, he was cursed to become like this. He was exiled, and we, his supporters, were affected by the curse as well. The curse isn't permanent, yet, but it almost is. Cú doesn't really care about breaking it, though. He only cares about fighting."

"Do you know how to? Break it, I mean."

"Someone has to defeat him in battle. Many have come to challenge him, but he's nearly unparalleled in terms of battle prowess."

"So all those Noble Phantasms in his vault...are spoils of battle?" I nod. He holds out his hand and materializes a dagger. "Can you tell me about this one?"

"That's the Azoth Sword. The king got it from a man named Paracelsus van Hohenheim. It absorbs surrounding mana and briefly nullifies objects' magical properties. You can probably use it to burn a hole in Einzbern Castle's barrier."

"Hmm...you knew my name when I walked into the castle. Was that because of one of the Noble Phantasms in the vault?"

"I have a nameless magic mirror that originally belonged to a girl in a black dress who called herself Alice. It can show its user anyone or anything, anywhere, in the past or in the present. I asked it to show me the strongest warrior in the land, and it showed me Artoria. Since then, we've been keeping tabs on Artoria and the people around her, trying to find a way to get her to come here. Artoria, Archer, Medea, and you are the people we at the castle call 'prospects'. You're the four people most likely to defeat Cú and break the curse."

"Okay. Last question. Why are you telling me all this?"

"Ha-ha-ha! You're a perceptive one, aren't you? Li! Bring me the contract."

Li Shuwen comes into the room with a rolled-up scroll on one of his hooks. He bows, letting it fall into Kiritsugu's hands. "I look forward to killing you once I return to my former glory." Then, he hops out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Kiritsugu is perturbed by the assassin's mannerisms.

"It means that he respects your fighting ability and your conviction as a killer. Everyone in the castle knows about your exploits from your search for the Grail with Artoria, after all."

"I'm not really like that anymore..." he unrolls the parchment and reads it. "A self-geis scroll, eh? You really are Erinian," he chuckles, then reads it. "What's stopping me from leaving without signing the contract?"

"Nothing. But Archer won't come on his own." I look him in the eye and smirk. "And you've always wanted to be a hero, haven't you? I can tell that you never gave up on that childish dream. You still want to save people."

He holds my gaze for a second. "Give me a quill and ink. I'll be leaving in the morning."


	8. Le Combat et le Contrat (Archer II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally wrote this

"Sanson! Omurice for table 13!" The waiter comes and takes the dish from me. As soon as he leaves, Shuten enters carrying a bottle of sake half her height.

"Heard you needed more of this for some of your gomoku fried rice," she says. Seeing me engrossed in my cooking, she hands it to Boudica.

We continue taking orders and cooking until Boudica's shift ends. She takes one step out of the kitchen and stops with a gasp. "Archer, something's going on outside! You need to see this!"

"Wait, I need to finish cooking this."

She grabs my arm and starts pulling me away. "Let it burn! This is important!" She shoves me out of the kitchen.

The entire restaurant is eerily silent. Despite the stillness, the tension in the room is dense. Everyone's raptly watching something going on outside the building. Wait...that familiar black coat is...Kiritsugu? And staring at him is a woman in a black dress...Artoria! Behind the woman is another person clad in a black coat. Hyde?

I run through the restaurant, past dozens of customers. I can practically feel everyone holding their breath, waiting for one of them to make a move. As I come closer, I see more details of the confrontation. Kiritsugu has his Thompson Contender trained on Artoria, who has materialized her Excalibur. Except, instead of the normally pure fairy sword, it's pitch black with red engravings. Hyde is unarmed, for now.

I stop when I get to the door. I assess the situation. Artoria is the most dangerous of the three, but she's hard to defeat. If I defeat Hyde in one shot, the odds might be evened. I look behind me to see that Beni-Enma has come out to see the commotion as well. We make eye contact. She gives me a small nod: permission to go wild.

"Trace, on." The twin swords appear in my hands. I take aim and throw Kanshou at Hyde. With the sound of shattering glass, mayhem breaks loose.

Hyde easily dodges the yang sword and charges at my father, a knife appearing in his hand in the blink of an eye. Kiritsugu fires at the approaching asylum owner as Artoria turns her attention towards me and beckons me with a taunting hand motion. I vault through the broken window, accepting her challenge.

She makes the first move. A leap into the air to increase the momentum of her downwards slash. The bell-like sound of metal on metal rings out as our blades meet. She tries to break my guard by increasing the power behind her attack, creating sparks and forcing me to bend my knees. We separate, and she swiftly sidesteps to avoid the white sword's husband as it returns to my hand.

To my left, I hear Hyde laugh. Is it because he hurt my father, or because he got hurt? It's hard to tell with him. I can't think about it for too long, though. I have my own fight to focus on. Artoria charges at me again. Now with both yin and yang, I'm able to fight properly. We clash a few more times, and surprisingly, we're pretty evenly matched.

One of our engagements leaves her open. Seeing my chance, I throw the twin swords at her to knock her back, Project another copy, and charge at her. After slashing her with both swords individually, I Project a third copy and finish the combo with an X-slash. The onslaught should have left her incapacitated, or at least severely handicapped. That's why I'm surprised when the hard hilt of her sword slams into the back of my skull.

I'm on the ground, my vision swimming with black spots. When I roll over to face Artoria, I find Excalibur pointed at my throat. Her dress is stained red where my swords cut her, and the wounds beneath are starting to close. Despite the blood flowing out of it, her mouth is twisted into a triumphant smirk.

"That's a nice technique you've got. Triple-Linked Crane Wings, was it?" I try to growl at her, but it comes out as a pained gurgle. Medea's spying has paid off. "I knew you would try to use it sooner or later, so I gave you an opening. Turns out it's not all that," she laughs.

She expertly uses the tip of her blade to turn my chin towards Hyde and my father. Their fight has concluded as well, with Kiritsugu's loss. Hyde hustles him towards a carriage, restraining him with one arm and holding a knife to his throat with the other.

"It's over." Artoria makes me look at her again. She's right. Kiritsugu's going to be taken to the asylum, no doubt to be tortured by Artoria personally. "Surrender or die, Archer."

Suddenly, her gleeful visage shifts to one of alarm. From above us, "Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea!" Artoria jumps back to avoid the powerful spell. "Atlas!" I think that's the spell she uses to stop movement; it was probably targeted at Hyde and Kiritsugu. Medea descends while I stagger to my feet, landing between Artoria and me. Contrary to my expectations, her back is to me. She intends to defend me. "Let them go, Artoria Alter."

Artoria "Alter", as Medea had dubbed her, scowls at her former lapdog and poises to attack. In return, Medea brandishes her staff, causing numerous sigils to appear in the air behind her. She starts levitating in response to the activation of her power. In the blink of an eye, more people come out of the restaurant to guard me. Raikou materializes her galvanic bow, Boudica draws her sword, and Tamamo Cat unsheathes her claws. Alter is surrounded.

-弓-

"Arachne: Spiderweb Chains." Medea makes quick work of restraining Hyde and Artoria Alter. Alter glares at her and growls, trying to break free from the silky, magenta ropes. When she opens her mouth to threaten her, Medea casts another spell to silence her. The other assailant, whose back is to Artoria's, is out cold. Leaving Raikou to guard them, she comes to help treat Kiritsugu's wounds. The skirmish with the asylum owner left him bleeding from several deep gashes, and he's unconscious as well. I can't help but stand and watch Boudica patch him up, even though I should be helping out.

The charioteer waves Medea off, so she makes her way towards the restaurant, where I'm standing. Before she can enter the building to assist in repairs (stray bits of magic and shockwaves from attacks had caused collateral damage), I ask her a question. "What's with the sudden change of heart, lapdog?" She stops. Her hesitation is only momentary, though. With a humph, she brushes past me.

I watch for a bit longer, until I notice Kiritsugu stir. He softly groans something, but it's unintelligible. Boudica brings her ear closer to him, and he attempts to speak again.

"I think he wants you, Archer," she says. Unsure of what he might need from me, I go over to them. My father starts to turn his head to look at me and bring his hand towards his pocket, but Boudica stops him. "Don't move. You need to heal."

I notice that the small movements had caused whatever was in his pocket to move. I take it out—it's a scroll. I think it's for me, judging by how he motioned to it. It's a contract, written in neat, curvy script. The quality of the ink and paper are extremely high, almost as if the one who wrote it was royalty; it's very out of place in the small village we live in. I read it to myself.

**Binding magecraft: Target—The Residents of Castle Sciath Uladh Truaillithe**

**The subjects of ███████ hereby command: Provided that the following conditions are met, this oath shall become a commandment and bind the target without exception.**

**Oath: No one who is currently in the castle, including Kiritsugu Emiya, may speak of █████.**

**Conditions: Kiritsugu Emiya must leave and send his son, Shirou "Archer"** **Emiya,** **in his place.**

Below that, there's two signatures: one is redacted, and the other is Kiritsugu's. Whoever Kiritsugu met last night seems to know a lot about us. When I look over it again, I feel uneasy. There's no fine print or anything, and there's also the weird censoring. Just what exactly happened in the forest last night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the name of the castle is "corrupted ulster shield"  
> (((also i feel like nothing happened in this chapter at all oof)))


	9. Bleu et Argent / Noir et Rouge (Artoria)

I'm lost in a sea of darkness. As long as I've been living here, darkness is all I've known. Perhaps the world within my mind used to be light, but ever since I became addicted to Mud, it's been like this. Last night was my first time seeing the light of day in countless years. I probably would have gone drowned in this ocean if not for the scabbard I hold.

Avalon. My only beacon, my only anchor to sanity in this evil recess of my mind. It used to heal me every time I took Mud, but as I sunk deeper and deeper into addiction... I absentmindedly trace the scabbard's inscriptions. Very few of them are still the original vibrant blue and gold—Avalon is encrusted with red and black.

"Arachne: Spiderweb Chains." Medea's voice echoes throughout the void.

I can't tell exactly what Alter does; in the depths of my consciousness, Mud has snuffed out every sense except my hearing. I can't see, feel, smell, or taste the world around my physical body. I can't do anything except powerlessly listen to the reactions to the terrible things Alter does to Medea. To Kiritsugu. To Archer. To everyone else I love.

But I'm about to lose that, too. Every dose of that accursed drug deafens me, brings me closer to complete and utter isolation.

"You should talk to your light side, Alter," someone outside giggles. I think that's Raikou. Suddenly, I hear crackling and sparking. "Bye-bye."

Alter materializes about five paces from me. As always, she's clad in her extravagant black dress. Comparing it to my plain white sundress, I wonder, not for the first time, if Alter is the "real" Artoria.

A half-incubus once told me that I was the heir to a dying kingdom, and I had to go on a quest to pull a certain sword from a stone to accept my rightful throne. But I rejected that destiny, and I went on a quest of my choosing, where I met Nimue. The lake spirit gave me Excalibur, Avalon, and a special adolescent Nymph. What if Alter is the Artoria that accepted her fate, rose to power, and became a ruthless queen?

My train of thought trails off, and I turn my attention back to Alter.

"Raikou wanted us to talk. Let's talk with our swords." She materializes the corrupted Excalibur. That sword is the one flaw in my theory: if she was Queen Artoria, would she not have the sword in the stone?

I silently accept her challenge, materializing my own Excalibur. As we begin to clash, Medea talks to someone near us in the physical world.

"I think I can return her to normal with a certain spell. Circe's Teachings!"

My inner world is filled with light, causing Alter to recoil. Glowing flecks of red and black float past me—it must be Avalon recovering slightly. I use a burst of mana at my feet to launch myself towards Alter and slash her. My momentum took me past her, and I turn around to face her again to see Avalon glow briefly. The wound I inflicted on Alter closes and heals in a matter of milliseconds.

"Her eyes are blue again, but she's still unconscious..." A new voice joins Medea. It sounds like Tamamo.

Seeing me focus on the outside, Alter takes her chance to charge at me. I manage to twist away to avoid the brunt of the stab, but the blade of the blackened Excalibur grazes my side.

A feline yelp resounds. "Yellow! Quick, Medea!"

"Circe's Teachings!" Another flash. The gash fades instantly.

Our battle continues like this, going through a cycle of Alter and me landing decisive blows and being healed by Avalon and Medea, respectively. Alter is noticeably weakening, though. Every use of Circe's Teachings dilutes the influence of Mud on Avalon and slowly cripples Alter. Every repetition of wound-heal-wound-heal increases my edge in the battle. Eventually, I'll win. I just have to trust in my own stamina, as well as Medea's.

-剣-

I don't know how long it takes, but finally, Avalon stops mending her injuries. I finish her off with a slash of promised victory. As she disintegrates, she smiles as if to say, "You'll never get rid of me." I float over to the scabbard. Some of the inscriptions still glow with her colors. She's not wrong.

For now, though, I've purged her. The Mud's corruption is beginning to fade. I see a light in the distance. I swim towards it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the best ideas come to me in the shower


	10. Le Roi, la Princesse, et la Reine (Boudica)

"Are you guys really not going to say anything?" I turn to glance at Archer and Medea behind me. They meet each other's eyes, make sour expressions, and go back to studying the forest around them. Artoria, being unconscious, doesn't make a peep.

The awkward silence persists. I can't stand this. I whip my horses to make them go faster. Pretty soon, the trees get thick enough that the sky is invisible.

"Medea, can you provide light?" She wordlessly obliges. I rack my brain for ways to engage conversation. "I spy with my little eye...something...gre-"

"A tree," Archer drily supplies.

"You got me!" I laugh with forced enthusiasm. "Medea, it's your turn!"

"No."

At last, my salvation arrives. Rather, we arrive at it. The lake that Kiritsugu mentioned and Medea discharged her magic into.

Extinguishing her light, the mage steps forward and freezes it. Medea snaps a branch off a tree and lights its end on fire—a makeshift torch. She thrusts it towards the red-cloaked man in the chariot.

-仇-

With Archer's departure, the tension in the chariot greatly lessens. Once more, I try to make conversation.

"What made you choose to help us? If I remember correctly, you served Artoria, even when she was altered..." There's a few seconds of leaves crunching under hooves and wheels, until Medea decides to answer.

"I thought...the changes in Artoria's personality and appearance were just natural side effect of Mud. But then, last night, I found out that the real Artoria was still alive behind the corrupted face of Artoria Alter, and she told me...she told me..." her voice breaks.

I stop the horses and go to where Medea is sitting. I pull her into an embrace, stroking her head while she rests her forehead on my chest and sobs. "Shh, shh, it's okay. I'm here, Medea...Big Sister Boudica is here..." We remain in that position for a good two minutes. When she's done crying, I wipe away her tears. With a sniffle, she continues her story.

"She told me to keep Alter in check. And then, she turned into Alter again." Her voice is barely a whisper. "I tried to fight back, but I just couldn't. I was so scared and confused. Even this morning, when I defended Archer, I almost ran away. I'm...I'm a coward..." She breaks down again.

"No, that's wrong," someone softly says from across from us. It's Artoria, back to her normal, blue-eyed self. She gets up and wraps her arms around both of us. "You're such a strong young woman, Medea," she murmurs. "I'm so proud of you for standing up to Alter."

"Artoria, is it really you?" Medea's sobs intensify upon hearing the new voice. "I've missed you so much...so much..." She separates from me and hugs Artoria alone.

"Thanks to you, Alter is almost gone for good. We just have to do one last thing. We have to get rid of whoever's been giving you Mud."

They break the hug, and Medea nods resolutely.

"Before that, though, I need to tell you something." Artoria pauses. Then, she presses a kiss to Medea's forehead. "I love you, Medea."

Tears, this time of happiness, roll down Medea's cheeks. "I love you, too, Artoria."


	11. Mémoire: La Nymphe (Medea 0)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I want Archer to meet Cú too but I don't want to have an Archer chapter so soon after the last one...gotta have balance, you know?

_"Hi! My name is Artoria. What's yours?"_

_"I'm Medea." I shyly looked at her._

_"Nice to meet you, Medea!"_

The shore of a lake, right outside a forest. That beautiful girl's vibrant smile is my earliest memory.

I don't remember my parents or my birthplace. My home has always been wherever Artoria is.

_"You know, Medea, you're really special. We can't use magic without Noble Phantasms, but you can."_

_"Really?" I tried snapping my fingers. Nothing particularly magical happened._

_"Don't worry, I know you'll be able to learn some really cool magic soon!"_

From the magical lake where we had met, she had taken me to Fuyuki. We lived together in a small cottage.

At that time, I was thirteen years old. I think she was around that age, too, but I'm not sure. Artoria's always been Artoria as long as I can remember.

_"Medea, look at this! I got it for you on a quest!"_

_"A staff...?" I brandished it. It felt...right for me. "Thank you!"_

_"Now you don't have to worry about discharging your mana! Just store it in here every time you use a spell!"_

It had barely been a few weeks since I met Artoria, and I was already casting intermediate spells with hardly more than a word.

We had quickly learned about the "welling up" of magic power and the need to discharge it. Along with the staff, she brought me a healing fleece and a spell-breaking dagger.

_"Please, take me with you!"_

_"I'm sorry, Medea. It's dangerous, so Kiritsugu and I have to go alone."_

_"Fine. But you better come home safe!"_

_"I promise I will!" She laughed and hugged me. "Well then, goodbye!"_

When she came back, something was off. She was still the same Artoria as always, but with a hint of despondence and a lack of self-confidence.

I don't know what happened during her quest for the Holy Grail, but I wanted to give back to her for all she'd done for me.

That's why I went to the church every Sunday night to get my, or should I say, Artoria's, weekly supply of Mud.


	12. Le Château (Archer III)

Thank god Medea gave me that torch. The lake is wider than expected, and by the time I get to the other side, night has fallen.

The castle is exactly how Kiritsugu described it—plain and simple, yet imposing and majestic. I cross the wooden bridge across the moat and approach the large double doors. I'm about to knock, when-

"Are you Archer?" My hand stops. "Put out your torch. I'm going to take you to a different entrance. The king is sleeping right now, and you wouldn't want to disturb him."

Reluctantly, I obey his request and turn around. The one who spoke to me is a man of medium height in a cloak that shadows his face.

"Well then, lead the way."

-弓-

As we circle the castle, I notice two strange things about my guide. First, he hops instead of walking. And if I closely examine the small imprints made by his small jumps, he seems to have...three legs? Perhaps he has a birth defect of some sort, and he can't walk normally because his third foot would drag across the ground...

I continue pondering various outlandish possibilities until we reach a small door in the back of the castle. He turns to me.

"Because of my...condition, I cannot open the door. If you don't mind..."

I walk past him and open the door. I enter the castle, and he follows me in.

We're in a dimly lit wine cellar. Here, I encounter even more oddities. One of the shelves has objects that should most definitely not be in a wine cellar: a purple candelabra, a featherduster, and a clock with sword-shaped hands. Behind me, I hear the cloak hit the floor, so I take a good look at the man.

He's a coat rack. A hopping, talking coat rack. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Li Shuwen." A hopping, talking,  _bowing_ coat rack. I stare at him, dumbfounded.

"Didn't Kiritsugu tell you about us?" The featherduster can talk, too. And she's flying around.

"He can't talk about it, remember? It was in the geis." No way. The only sounds clocks make are ticks and tocks.

"Guys, what happened to manners?" It shouldn't be surprising when the candelabra speaks as well, but I can't help but balk. "I'm Fergus."

The featherduster flies into my face and brushes my nose, causing me to sneeze. "Flidais," she giggles.

"And I'm Beowulf," he hops over to Li Shuwen. "We four are the king's closest companions."

"Well, now that introductions are done," Fergus "points" to the door. "It's time for a tour of the castle. After you, Archer."

-弓-

We systematically visit each wing and chamber of the large castle. The entire palace's color scheme is red, red, and more red.

Maroon carpets. Rusted suits of armor. Scarlet furniture. Mahogany doors. Even white plates and bowls appear to be have a ruddy tint.

While most rooms are generally well-kept, some areas are covered by a thin layer of dust, and a few are in ruins. The demolished rooms' crimson carpets are stained black with dried blood. It's impossible to tell how long ago it was spilled. Clearly, the castle's staff needs human help. Maybe that's why I was asked to come here. 

By the time we reach the foyer, my head hurts from all the red. Normally, I like the color, but this is just too much. I fall into a sanguine armchair, ignoring the little "oof" it makes. It's been a long day, and I'm ready to drop dead.

"You seriously need remodeling. I'm getting a headache," I groan, closing my eyes.

"You get used to it," Fergus shrugs.

"Just like you've gotten used to everyone being a living inanimate object, huh? Is your king one too?"

"Actually, he's the only one that isn't."

"So, he's human?"

"Not exactly...you'll see."

Before I can question him any further, someone comes down the stairs. Slowly opening my eyes, I blink away drowsiness.

The king is walking contradiction. He is simultaneously the most human and inhuman person in the castle. All the subjects "felt" human; this man exudes a savage aura. Reptilian armor, red eyes, and strange tattoos only add to the effect. This man is death itself. In the eye of my mind, I see his rouge spear brutally slaughtering armies. I should fear him, but I can't help but admire him. The ferocity I see in my imagination is beautiful, and the tattoos frame bulky muscles. His eyes shine brighter than the most valuable rubies on earth; his armor accentuates strong thighs.

"See something you like?" Fergus teases from next to me. I tear my gaze away from him, closing my mouth and mentally begging my cheeks to cool down.

"Are you here to fight me?" The king's voice has a bored timbre. It's rather nice on the ears.

"Um, no, actually. I came to work as your manservant."

"Okay. I'll be in my room. Wake me up if someone comes to fight me." He turns around. I'm appalled. How rude! This kind of behavior is in no way befitting of a king.

I march up the main stairs and enter the darkened hallway he disappeared into. Following the sounds of heavy footfalls on carpet, I continue lecturing him.

"First of all, I can't believe you have the audacity to call yourself a king. How are you going to find yourself a queen with those manners?" Despite the darkness, I see him sweep his tail to trip me. I jump over it. "Also, you should really make sure people are doing their jobs! Have you seen the state the East Wing's in? You should rename it to the Yeast Wing because of all the mold growing in it!" He picks up the pace. "Hey! Stop ignoring me!"

Eventually, we get to his room. He turns back and glares at me. "You're annoying." The door slams shut.

Fergus joins me outside the bedroom. "King Berserker's just like that," he says. "You'll get used to that, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, after 11k words, they meet!


End file.
